Old ISMAKI sketch

I decided to make a card using an old ISMAKI sketch (I made this on the weekend, before the new ISMAKI sketch came out)
The girl is coloured with distress inks used as paints (still Kim's influence), and I decided she looked like a cute hippy, so I chose psychedelic papers.

I hope you like her

ISMAKI challenge 22/06 Kianel

This week's ISMAKI sketch was set by Kianel and the option was cardboard.
I was inspired by the lovely Kim Piggott this week, and coloured/painted my Magnolia stamp with Distress Inks (thanks for showing me how Kim).
The option was cardboard, so I added the Tattered Angels Glimmer Chip in the corner.
Thanks for looking.

Lake District Holiday - Day 6

4 July 2009 Thursday

Another cloudy, cool day, perfect for walking.
We decided to do a walk by a lake, and we chose the Windermere Ferry walk – 6 miles.
We started the walk from the car park, and walked along the road to the ferry, where Dave looked over a wall and saw a swan and her signets on the grass. Great spot Dave!

The walk entered the National Trust Park and went along a wide path that ran next to lake Windermere.

After a couple of miles of gentle flat walking we headed up the hill, into the forest. The path was laid with stones from over 100 years ago. It was so peaceful and quiet.

The path wound along through the forest (flatter now we had reached the level they wanted to) , and we loved every minute of it. It was everything a forest walk should be! I had found a write-up about the walk, and it told us there was a little path off to the left (that most people miss), that leads out onto some rocks, and stunning views over Windermere.
We found the path (after a few other paths that weren’t right LOL), and were rewarded with a breathtaking view for our lunch.

After lunch we went back into the forest, and started a long descent. At the bottom we walked along an old moss covered dry stone wall. Then we left the forest, which was not expected. We walked beside the wall, which enclosed fields of sheep. Out in the sun it soon warmed up. This was rolling hills rather than steep walking and quite pleasant. The sheep all had lambs which are always fun to watch.
As we rounded a corner of the wall we could see a magnificent tree that had fallen over, perhaps in strong wind? It was a sad sight.

The path headed back into the forest, and preceded to go up and down (with more down than up), until a final steep decent brought us to the folly above the car park.
Finally we went down the Victorian stairs to our car.

We caught the small car ferry across the lake (sadly it sounded more exciting than the journey actually was), and headed back up to Ambleside. Once there we headed up a narrow, steep road to see where it went (as you do, if you are Dave). It wound up the fell to an Inn above. We parked and looked around, but the wind had picked up, and the temperature had dropped, so it was not pleasant up there. We headed back home to pack, as the next day we drove home.

It was such a wonderful holiday we plan to go back later in the year! Now that we know my knee can handle the fell walking, and the distances we will try some more ambitious walks.

ISMAKI challenge 15/06 Isa

Here are my entries for this week's ISMAKI challenge. The sketch was created by lovely Isabelle, and the option is distressed background paper. Great sketch Isa, thank you!

I couldn't decide whether to do a Christmas card or a birthday type card, so I did both.
I hope you like them, and thanks for any comments you leave, I really do appreciate them

Lake District Holiday - Day 5

3 June 2009 – Wednesday

I have loads of pictures for today, as it was a really exciting day for us.
The cold front had come in overnight, so the weather was cooler, only reaching 18C as the high, and cloudy in the morning. This is much better weather for walking.
First we went into town to a deli to have sandwiches made up for our lunch (I chose a yummy bacon and brie with cranberry jelly and salad on a poppy seed roll, Dave chose ham salad on a sesame seed roll).
Then we headed for Hard Nott Pass, which is a very scary mountain pass.
The road is more of a country lane, only wide enough for one car in most places, but runs in both directions. Like in most places in the UK, where the roads are narrow and scary, they have created regular passing places, which are just a scrape on the side of the road that one vehicle can move 2 wheels onto, so the other vehicle can (just) pass. You need to drive very slowly and carefully along there.
Not only is the road narrow, but also very windy and of course rising steeply up and down the two passes. Hard Knott pass itself is 393m high, and the road rises very steeply in the last section (it is very windy there too). It is more like a white knuckle ride than a road! Hence why everyone likes to go up there...
The road leading to the pass was about 4 miles of excitement.
Once on top of the pass we parked the car, donned our hiking boots and decided which fell rising above us to climb. We chose the nearest, Hard Knott Fell. From the road, it rises another 200m almost straight up. We could not see a path up, so we just went for it. It is very steep, and there are a lot of rocks, so we went scrambling up the rocks and through the grass tufts. Here are some views as we climbed.


Our route up the fell.


It was scary for me, as I hate heights, and as we were on the side of the fell, looking down meant looking down all the way to the bottom. I climbed using my hands and feet to keep my body angled towards the fell so I wouldn’t over balance. Dave seemed unaffected by the heights.
I must say, I was very scared, but found it exhilarating, and we climbed quickly.
It was not very far to the top, using such a direct route!
Once we reached the top it was amazing. The views in all directions were stunning, especially the view down the valley below Hard Nott Pass, which is amazing from the pass itself, but even better from the fell above it.



At the top it was wide and easy to walk around and enjoy. We found a large rock to sit down and enjoy our lunch. In front was the full length of the valley with it’s amazing views (see photo above), to the right were the Scafell Pike range of fells – the highest mountains in England. Behind us was the valley we had climbed out of by car to reach the pass. To the left, and nearer, was Harter Fell (one for another time).

I did not want to go back the way we had come up, as it was bad enough to climb up, but down would have been too scary for me, so we looked for a gentler way down, and soon found a trail leading down the side of the fell, on a much gentler route, right to our car!

We headed back home and decided to do an afternoon walk near Ambleside. We parked at the bottom of the hill (at our apartment), and walked up Loughrigg fell behind the house.
It was an easy climb, and the views of both Ambleside and Lake Windermere were breathtaking.

Ambleside

Windermere

On the way back down the fell

Tonight we had our Thai dinner (that we booked on Saturday night), and then went to the local cinema (in the converted church hall), and watched the newly released Terminator Salvation movie.
The walk home through the park in the twilight was a bit creepy though....

It was such a great day.